Between 1914 and 1918, French army casualties in World War I included 1.4 million killed, 4.3 million wounded, and 537,000 taken prisoner or missing, PBS states. Only the Austro-Hungarian and Russian armed forces suffered a higher proportion of losses. Over time, French commanders shifted from massed charges as their preferred tactic. Instead, strategists like Marshall Henri Petain developed more flexible, mobile forms of warfare that influenced French allies.

Massed Infantry Charges

Most of World War I occurred behind trench fortifications whose boundaries rarely changed. French generals like Joseph Joffre endorsed massed infantry charges to break the stalemate. Troops were ordered to walk directly toward enemy positions and break into a collective charge at the last moment, the French Infantry Tactics website states. A typical assault might take nearly three and a half minutes, giving German machine gunners ample time to kill most of the attackers.

The Creeping Barrage

Nicknamed for its mixture of artillery and infantry tactics, "The Creeping Barrage" became a defining tactic during the French victory at Verdun -- which lasted from February to December 1916 and claimed 700,000 lives, says historian Khushaal Vyas. Artillery gunners fired on enemy positions, and small infantry units followed right behind the barrages. As the infantry reached a trench, the artillery fire stopped, and soldiers used bayonets or grenades against the defenders. Reinforcements would then arrive to help secure the area.

Aerial Warfare Strategies

Though trench warfare remains World War I's defining image, French aviators like Roland Garros also made important contributions to their country's defense. Garros popularized the tactic of hovering at high altitudes as his German rivals flew beneath him, the Daily Kos website states. He then swooped behind his adversaries and attacked, giving him the advantage of surprise. Garros used this tactic in April 1915 to shoot down two German spotter planes. In doing so, he became the first modern air ace.

Bounding Maneuvers

As French commander for the Western Front, Petain emphasized speed and firepower over massed attacks. This approach required breaking infantry units into smaller mobile teams who kept enemy defenders pinned down with machine gun fire, the French Infantry Tactics website states. Once in range, the teams used grenades to destroy resistance. Other French commanders stuck with the walking fire approach of directing entire units to shoot continuously at enemy positions -- an approach that the British and Australians also copied.

Naval Defense Tactics

As World War I began, French naval squadrons served a largely defensive function, such as the safe escort of other nations' troop ships. Over the long run, though, the French navy made key contributions to the war effort -- particularly in the struggle to contain German U-boats. When the war ended in 1918, the French had created nine patrol and escort commands to coordinate anti-submarine warfare. According to the Naval-History website, these forces came to include 35 submarines, 111 torpedo boats, 153 submarine chasers and 734 armed trawlers.

About the Author

Ralph Heibutzki's articles have appeared in the "All Music Guide," "Goldmine," "Guitar Player" and "Vintage Guitar." He is also the author of "Unfinished Business: The Life & Times Of Danny Gatton," and holds a journalism degree from Michigan State University.